Four by Tenn

directed by Seth Duerr

Four by Tenn, Four Works by Tennessee Williams is American Bard Theater Company’s tribute to a true American Bard. These four lesser known plays, written over a span of 40 years, provide a dose of his genius, his bold, bawdy jabs at life and his keen perception of emptiness. Small Craft Warnings is playing in rotating repertory with One Acts: A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot, Summer at the Lake, The Case of the Crushed Petunias.

Small Craft Warnings: (1972) In a rundown bar on the Southern California coast, a group of lonely and disparate individuals, rejected by "normal" society, come together in their need for human contact and understanding. Each tells their tale with poetic eloquence and force, revealing a desperate emptiness and inspiring compassion of rare dimension. The characters embody the fears that lurk in all of us, and the frailties that so often make us less than we would wish to be -- both in our hearts and in the eyes of others.

ONE ACTS: A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot (1957) centers on two fading, overdressed doxies, members of the Ladies' Auxiliary of the "Sons of Mars," who hit town for the annual convention. Their search for men and a high old time, lands them in a third rate bar with just enough change for two “fish bowls” of beer. The banter begins, and a hilarious catfight ensues.

Summer at the Lake (1937) tells the story of Donald Fenway, a sensitive teenager who feels trapped by his self-absorbed mother and his father’s suggestion that he abandons his plans for college and finds a menial job.

The Case of the Crushed Petunias (1941) Dorothy Simple, a prim and proper notions clerk, discovers the culprit who crushed her carefully tended petunias is a salesman for Life Inc. His offerings of poetry, wild rose seeds and an invitation to meet on Highway No. 77 for an evening outing inspire Dorothy to take a leap of faith.

***Note***
This production is a 2-part series of short plays - Part 1: Small Craft Warnings (110 min. run time); Part 2: One Acts (75 min. run time) includes A Perfect Analysis Given by a Parrot, Summer at the Lake, and The Case of the Crushed Petunias.

To see the full production of these pieces, audience members will need to attend both Parts 1 and 2. Performances of Parts 1 and 2 are scheduled on an alternating basis. The full production schedule including performances for the specific pieces can be found on the ABTC website (www.americanbard.org).

Performances:

4/9/2011 at 2:00pm
4/9/2011 at 8:00pm
4/10/2011 at 3:00pm
4/12/2011 at 7:00pm
4/13/2011 at 8:00pm
4/14/2011 at 8:00pm
4/15/2011 at 8:00pm
4/16/2011 at 2:00pm
4/16/2011 at 8:00pm
4/17/2011 at 3:00pm
4/19/2011 at 7:00pm
4/20/2011 at 8:00pm
4/21/2011 at 8:00pm
4/22/2011 at 8:00pm
4/23/2011 at 2:00pm
4/23/2011 at 8:00pm